Tom Brady Criticizes Daniel Jones for How He Handled Final Days with Giants

Brady didn't approve of Jones seeking his release following his benching.

Nov 10, 2024; Munich, Germany; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) throws the ball against the Carolina Panthers in the first half during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Former NFL quarterback and current FOX broadcaster Tom Brady is not a fan of how quarterback Dnaniel Jones handled his final days as a Giant.

Brady, part of the FOX broadcast team assigned to the Giants-Cowboys Thanksgiving game, discussed Jones’s request for his release from the team after being benched and demoted last week.

“I don’t know how that whole situation went down, but to think that you’d ask for a release from a team that committed a lot to you is maybe different from how I would’ve handled that,” Brady said.

“I always wanted to get the trust and respect of my teammates regardless of the situation, knowing that I was trying to be the best I could for the team because that was the most important thing.”

Jones was benched by head coach Brian Daboll coming out of the team’s Week 11 bye, a move made after the team fell to 2-8 and to ensure that the quarterback wouldn’t suffer an injury that might trigger the $23 million guarantee in his contract in 2025.

After being demoted to fourth string in practice, behind Tommy DeVito, Drew Lock, and practice squadder Tim Boyle, Jones, in his final practice with the Giants, lined up at safety for the scout team. 

The NFL Network later revealed that this move was Jones’s idea so he could stay involved and help the team prepare. 

After what was Jones’s final practice with the Giants, he then delivered a heartfelt speech after practice, thanking his teammates, coaches, and fans. The next day he met with team co-owner John Mara to request his release, which was then granted the next day.

Brady seemed to be under the impression that Jones asked for his release because he lined up at safety, possibly suggesting that was the tipping point that led to Joones requesting his request. 

“Everyone makes individual choices,” Brady said. “I think we’re all, at points in our careers, faced with different challenges. I faced them in college — some things didn’t go the way I wanted, but the guys in the locker room mattered the most to me.

“I showed up every day — I didn’t care if they asked me to be the scout team safety, scout team quarterback, I was gonna do whatever I could to help the team win.”

Jones was not out of work for long, as he signed with the Minnesota Vikings practice squad on Wednesday.

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